As you visit this resource website or read the companion book STEM by Design: Tools and Strategies to Help Students in Grades 4–8 Solve Real-World Problems, this is a good place to ask questions, share your thoughts, or suggest favorite STEM resources. I promise to respond!
Use these study questions as you read STEM by Design (Routledge, 2025) individually or in a team. Often a team study will surface more ideas, generate discussions, and drive learning deeper. Choose those questions that will spark the most learning for you.
by STEM by Design · Published December 23, 2024 · Last modified January 3, 2025
Written by STEM teaching expert Anne Jolly as a free supplement to her book STEM By Design (2016), the Student Teaming Tips Handbook is a starter set of ideas teachers may find useful for priming kids to work creatively and productively in STEM teams. Download the PDF!
Book Excerpts / Integrated STEM
by STEM by Design · Published December 16, 2024 · Last modified January 14, 2025
STEM is, first and foremost, a way of teaching that helps prepare students for learning and working in the real world. You will be engaging your students in science, technology, engineering, and math as they exist in everyday life – interwoven and integrated.
Adapting STEM Lessons / More STEM Resources
by STEM by Design · Published December 16, 2024 · Last modified January 11, 2025
You’ve located a possible STEM lesson, but how can you be sure it’s of good quality? First and foremost the lessons need to be shaped by STEM principles and criteria. Check out Anne Jolly’s specifications and see how she analyzes potential teaching material.
More STEM Resources / Teen Inventors
by STEM by Design · Published December 15, 2024 · Last modified January 14, 2025
We can spark student interest in STEM studies and careers with stories of middle school-aged inventors who gained the world’s attention by solving a real problem. STEM author and curriculum expert Anne Jolly tells the story of eight such kids.
by STEM by Design · Published December 15, 2024 · Last modified December 18, 2024
Teachers need to consider some pragmatic issues when designing a solid STEM lesson, including basic information about your students, effective teaching practices, available resources, and more. Use these questions to help you anticipate and think through what’s ahead.
Book Excerpts / Realistic STEM Challenges
by STEM by Design · Published December 15, 2024 · Last modified January 15, 2025
Problem-solving is a central feature of STEM. But coming up with real-world engineering problems for kids to solve can be challenging in itself. Here are some ideas for places to explore for project ideas and a few tips to guide you in making the best selections.
Creativity is crucial when it comes to STEM education. According to the Future of Jobs report, creativity is one of the three top “must-have” skills in our workforce and society. Fostering creativity should be a natural part of your STEM projects.
If your STEM projects need an occasional boost or produce exceptional results, give your students a chance to take their final prototypes beyond a conceptual level. Imagine your students thinking: Can our design really be produced and used – even if we can make only a few?
